Welcome to Steve Ellwood's Pictures

A great piece of engineering from Sir W.G. Armstrong & Company Ltd which allowed the bridge to be swung for shipping on 17th July 1876, which was the Europa an Italian vessel on its way to Armstrong's Elswick Works for a 100 ton gun to be fitted.

The wonders of hydraulics which swing the 900 tons of the moving bridge, nowadays the hydraulic engines use electrically driven pumps but originally they were steam driven. Water pressure of c49kg cm2 enables the bridge to be lifted and swung with all engines being duplicated at the East and Western sides of the engine room.

Evidently the bridge is swung on the first Wednesday of each month at approximately 14.00